Improvement in oyster-dredges



` 2Sheets-Sheet2. W. C HORNFAGER & M. FITZGIBBUNS.

l Oyster Dredges.

N0, 141,439, PatentedAugust5,1873.`

ErrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. ORNFAGER AND MAURICE FITZ GIBBONS, NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN OVSTER-DREDGES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,439, dated August 5,1873; application filed December 20, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM C. HORN- YPAGER and MAURICE FITZ GIBBoNs,of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in the Making or Constructing Machinery orApparatus for Dredging Oysters; and we hereby declare that the followingis a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings making part thereof, and in which- Figure lrepresents a transverse sectional view of a vessel' having ourimprovement,

vconsisting of windlass A, swiveljointed ro- 'ta-ting arm or lever B,dredge C, and rope or swivel-jointed arm or lever, B, Figs. l and 2,

extending from the center of the deck of the vessel to and over the siderail, constructed as follows:

A socket is made into the deck of the vessel, or a box-plate fastened tothe deck having a socket, in which the hinge-joint bolt is inserted, andin which the bolt can be made to revolve. The upper part of the bolt hasa flange resting upon vthe base or deck of the vessel, above which is ahinge-joint having its counterpart with the lever, which is constructedeither of wood or metal, having a pulley over 'which the rope or cablepasses from the windlass to the dredge.

The second part of our invention relates to an oyster-dredge, C and D,Fig. l and Figs. 3, 4, and 5, constructed as follows:

The frame-work is made of two metallic bars bent in the form of a loop,coming together at the top and fastened together. The bottoms are spreadapart, and cross-bars attached on either side, upon which are attachedrows of metallic teeth, which together form the mouth of the dredge,Fig. l, C. Upon this frame a ch ain-bag is constructed, of any desirablesize, Fig. l, C, and Fig. 4.' At the bottom of the dredge so farconstructed is attached a device for closing and opening the-dredge soas to discharge the oysters at the bottom, Fig. l, C, and d, Figs. 3, 4,and 5. This opening and closing device is constructed as follows:

It consists of two metallic plates, curved at the ends, counterparts ofeach other, and joined together at each end-by a rivet, forming amovable joint. Upon one of the plates are projections, which, whenclosed, pass through openings in the counterpart. These projections arefor the admission of a bolt. Upon the other plate are like projectionshaving open ings. Through these openings a bolt is passed having prongsattached upon one side, so arranged as to pass through the opening ofthe projections on the counterpart. bolt is placed a spiral or otherspring, which, by its tension, forces the pronged bolt into theopenings, and retains them in that position.

Having described the nature, object, and construction of our inventionand improvement, we proceed to describe its operation, as

follows:

The rope or cable, being coiled upon the spool of the windlass, ispassed over the lever, through the pulley, and attached to the dredge.rBhe dredge is thrown over the slide of the vessel, and cable paid outso as to permit the dredge to drag at the bottom. The dredge being heldin position by the ratchet-pawl, and being dragged upon the bottom bymeans of the teeth, take up the oysters, which are forced in the dredgetill filled, when thesame is to be drawn up by the windlass. When thetop of the dredge strikes the lever it is raised above and swung overthe rail of the vessel to any portion of the deck within range of thelever. The bolt at the bottom of the dredge is then withdrawn. Thebottom is opened by the press- Upon this Y 2. The combination ot'wndlass A, Fig. 1, and swivel-jointed arm or lever B, Fig. 1.

3. The combination of Windlass A, swiveljointed lever B, and dredge C,substantially as and for the uses and purposes hereinbefore set forth.

WILLIAM C. HORNFAGER. MAURICE FITZ GIBBONS.

Witnesses:

HARRY COLEMAN, WM. S. HENDERSON.

